Best Business Quotes to Inspire Entrepreneurs, Daily affirmations have long been used to boost self-esteem. They compel people to start their days on the right foot. But while letting a smile be your umbrella might fortify your positive attitude, it’s not going to inspire your business ventures.
Everyone must work, but for many of us that job isn’t just a paycheck, it’s an opportunity to express ourselves and make something better. Entrepreneurs and go-getters often feel as if they carry the weight of an entire organization on their backs, and therefore could always use a little extra motivation.
To all the entrepreneurs and go-getters out there, these 40 inspiring business quotes are for you. Now, get out there and change the world—one project at a time!
1. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe understands a challenge. The tennis champ is the only black man to win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open. He was ranked number one in the world, but that didn’t come easy. On top of the mastery of the sport and all the physical and mental work required to get there, he had to deal with prejudice, which makes his quote all the more powerful and humble.
2. “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
Churchill led Britain through one of its darkest periods. With enemies threatening to advance across the English Channel, bombing London daily, the pressure to survive was paramount. But Churchill, like any entrepreneur worth their salt, understood that failure was part of the process. One learned from their mistakes, and the greatest lesson was that there was always another day to fight on.
3. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new” – Socrates
The great Greek philosopher was known for questioning the status quo and getting killed for it. But Plato wrote Scorates’ dialogues shortly after his death and his Influence lives on in Western society to this day. Even as pragmatic a discipline as a business can learn from him. Forge forward, don’t look back.
3. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new” – Socrates
The great Greek philosopher was known for questioning the status quo and getting killed for it. But Plato wrote Scorates’ dialogues shortly after his death and his Influence lives on in Western society to this day. Even as pragmatic a discipline as a business can learn from him. Forge forward, don’t look back.
5. “Play by the rules, but be ferocious.” – Phil Knight
The brand that gave us “Just do it!” qualifies that tagline, which always felt a bit broad, to include boundaries. You can’t “just do it” without regard to the rules, as Knight clearly states. Those rules are what level the playing field and protect fair competition. But rules have nothing to do with the passion in which you play within them.
6. “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” – Richard Branson
Branson’s Virgin has proven that from record labels to airlines, where there is a will there is a way. The door isn’t always open, but sometimes it’s ajar or the key is on the floor. All you must do is pick it up and turn the lock. Basically, the right environment for success ebbs and flows, but a keen businessperson is never passive.
7. “Every problem is a gift—without problems we would not grow.” – Anthony Robbins
The idea that one can go through life without conflict or issues arising is unrealistic. Some might dream of a frictionless ride through the world as the ideal journey, but without some form of pushback, growth is impossible. It is these problems that we face that build our character, engage our creativity and build humility.
8. “You only have to do a few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.” – Warren Buffett
The idea of right and wrong is a construct, of course, and it might feel overly simplistic to suggest that making the right choices will smooth the path forward. But the famous investor is merely noting with this business quote that avoiding a wrong decision is as important as making the right one. Avoiding bad decisions is aided, of course, with
